Combination pneumatic jack and tire inflater



Jne'lf's, 1923. 1,457,665

' l W. B. LUCAS COMBINATION PNEUMATIC JACK AND TIRE INFLATER Filed Sept.6. 1921 PatentedV June 5, 1923.A

l UNITED STATES T carica.

WILLIAM B. LUCAS, 0F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

.commna'rronrnnuua'rrc :mex -AN'D TIBEYINFLATER.

Application filed September 8, 1921. Serial No. 498,685.

To all whom t may conc-em:

V Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. LUCAS, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Oak Park, county of Cook, and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCombination Pneumatic Jacks and Tire Inaters, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to automobile accessories and especiall to meansfor raising the vehicle'aXle an tomeans Jfor inflating the tires.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a simplified form ofjack adapted for automatic operation; to provide such a device ofcompact form and of light weight; to provide a jack of the characterstated adapted for manufacture at a low cost and of few parts adaptedfor permanence and simplicity of operation.V

An illustrative embodiment lot' this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view ofone embodiment of the invention adapted to serve either as a jack or atire inlater..

Figure 2 is a vertical section' of another embodiment.

In the construction shown in Figure 1, the jack comprises a pair ofrelatively movable intertting members 1 and 2 disposed in mutuallyexpansible relation. The frame part 1 is cylindrical and the chamberthereof contains a piston-like head 3 secured to the innerend of themember 2. ,The upper end'of the` member 1 is provided with a guide part4 to retain the piston member 2 1n concentric position relative to themember 1 when the jack is used.`

The body or shaft of piston member 2 is hollow and the closed chamberthereof is adapted to contain, under high pressure, a

` fluid of normally gaseous character in liquid form.

A tube 5 is 'provided for admitting charges of. fluid successively fromthe storage chamber in part 2 to the expansion chamber 1n part 1. Theilow of Huid through said tube is controlled by a manually-controlledvalve 6 sion chamber is controlled by a separate valve-7, preferably inthe form of a spring closed needle valve which may be opened bydownward'pressure with the hand as understood in the art. The valve 6 isalso of the and the release of Huid from the eXpan-' needle type, so asto readily permit of very gradual opening. Y l

Whenever it 1s desiredV to use this device 'for' .inflating a tire, thelower end of tube 5 1s dlsconnected at the point 8` from the jack andconnected to the nipple 9 of the tire 1'() whereupon fluid may beadmitted from the supply chamber by opening the valve 6.

e, operation of the jack is as follows: The jack is placed in uprightposition on the ground and the head 11 is placed under the axle l2, thetube 5 being connected as shown by full lines lin Figure 1. The valve 6is -then opened suiliciently to charge the expansion chamber in frame 1and thereby lift the piston 2 and the load 12 carried thereby. When theload 12 is tobe lowered, the operator pres-ses his finger downwardlyupon the projecting stem of valve 7.

In the construction in Figure 2 the jack 'is entirely self-contained,the chamber connecting means being inside the ljack as indicated at 13.Moreover a modified form of valve is provided at 14 to regulate the Howof gas into and downward through tube 13.

The upper wall4 of the frame or base part 1 is provided with ventopenings 15. to pre- -chamber is lled by connecting a supply tube at 17in`place of tube 5.

A relatively light-weight jack, weighing for instance about five pounds,may be charged from 'time to time with a suiiicient quantity of liquidcarbon dioxide to operate the jackat least fifty times or to inate adozen tires or more. The cost of rechargin the storage chamber at theusual commercia rate for carbon dioxide is about ten cents. The manyadvantages of this device are apparent, particularly its simplicity andlow cost, its ease ofoperation, its strength and cfluickness ofoperation and its low cost lboth or constructionand maintenance in use.

-vent pressure developing above the piston Although but two specificembodiments of this invention are herein shown and described, it will beunderstood that numerous V details of the' constructions shown may bealtered-or omitted without departing -from Connection having one endcommunicating with said storage chamber and its other end beinginterchangeable with respect yto said expansion chamber and a tire to beinflated.

Signed at Chicago this 26th day of-Au- WILLAM B. LUCAS.

gust, 1921.

